Tuesday 29 December 2009
Friday 18 December 2009
A Wintery Walk and Christmas Greetings
Coloured pencil
14x18cms
Merry Christmas!
This is my Christmas card for this year.
One morning in the UK last year, I woke early to find that there had been a light fall of snow during the night. I was nice and warm inside so I sketched the scene from the window sitting in my pyjama's.
This scene was taken from that morning and my imagination. I first I thought of a single walker, maybe a famer checking his fields, but that seemed too lonely. So I added another set of footprints on the final version printed, and it became two people sharing a snowy walk.
The green/yellow haze in the sky is just my scanner mis-behaving and not some strange weather conditions.
I'm off to the UK tomorrow for Christmas, hopefully their snow will ease off and the airports will be open. I'll be back in time to make some New Year's resolutions!
A Peaceful and Happy Christmas to everyone.
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Finally finished, Autumn Leaves painting
Sunday 13 December 2009
Do not read if you're hungry
Like most saints there is always more than one legend around, but generally Saint Lucia is known for saving the population from famine in 1636. So no bread or pasta is eaten to mark the day. A real sacrifice for Sicilians!
a sweet pudding made from boiled wheat.
Wednesday 9 December 2009
A Monstrous Villa
coloured pencil.
This is the other statue at the entrance of the Villa. They are not really frightening and you can see much worse things on tv today, but they were a creepy spectacle when the villa was built in 1705.
I would like to draw more of these and will make it a project for 2010, but I don't think I will be able to do all 62 of the remaining stone sculptures.
Sunday 6 December 2009
The Monthly Sketch Project - December
Tuesday 1 December 2009
Villa dei Mostri
This one is at the entrance. Villa Palagonia is a 17c Baroque Villa in the town of Bagheria. The villa's garden is full of 'monsters', that is to say many statues and caricatures of man-beasts, dwarfs, beggars, ladies and knights.
The story is that the villa was built as the summer residence of the 7th Prince of Palagonia. He had the statues installed as vengenance towards his pretty but unfaithful wife. They are supposed to depict her lovers and insult her.
The gardens are very strange, but the villa is also beautiful inside. This view from what is now the back is one that I have sketched as there is a convienent quiet road leading to the gate. Sketching all the monsters would make an interesting sketch book.....I can feel an idea coming on!
Wednesday 25 November 2009
A hand
Hands are not the easiest thing to draw, so this is good practice. I find that its better to jump in and quickly draw them, because the more you fiddle the worse they get. Toes are even worse!
This was done in 30 mins or so with Lyra coloured pencils.
Tuesday 17 November 2009
Grasshopper
Its funny how I used to be so scared of insects but after living here in the back of beyond I've seen so many I've got used to them..even spiders!
I've recently seen some enormous black and yellow caterpillars. I don't what they will turn out to be..probably something big and hairy?
Monday 9 November 2009
Monthly Sketch Project
Sunday 1 November 2009
Olive Harvest
The green olives get put into jars and the black (the more mature olives) get covered in salt to draw out the water in them. They then become drier and wrinkly ..just right to be eaten!
Sketch done with sepia ink and watercolours.
Sunday 25 October 2009
Pears and Shadows
This is my first painting, about 30 x 40 cms. I borrowed the image off the Wet Canvas forum library so that I could concentrate on the actual painting while the composition and lighting was already done for me (thanks to karenboss). The next one will be my own composition..its already on the drawing board!
Rain, rain go away!
Tuesday 13 October 2009
UKCPS exhibition and Morris men!
Saturday 26 September 2009
Green valley
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Storms and heavy rain
Tuesday 15 September 2009
Water soluble graphite pencils
In between thunder storms I sketched some trees at the back of our house. Not actually black..but nearly. I used Derwent water soluble sketching pencils and graphitone 2b pencil. Quite similar results, but I think the graphitone has the edge for me.
The best bit is wetting the drawing and seeing it transform . The graphitone can be dipped in water to add extra texture, I'm not sure that would do the wood much good on the sketching pencils.
I will definately be buying some more graphitone pencils, no problem about leads breaking either!
Sunday 6 September 2009
New from old
This a work in progress. I'm covering a very ugly cement bench with mosaic, made out of broken tiles. The bench was originally built by the previous owners of my house, the tiles were also found hidden in and old outhouse. Some of them look to be from the 70's. Its time consuming, but I'm pleased with the results, having never done anything like this before. I also like the re-cycling aspect. There are lots of tiles left, so who knows what I will mosaic next!?
Friday 28 August 2009
In my mind I'm still there..
Our summers in Sicily are harsh and dry, with never-ending days of sun. That might be paradise for some people, but I much prefer the pitter patter of rain!
This is a piece I've just finished, I will put it away for a few days before I finish the last tweaks.
A special place..but where?
Water colour underpainting and coloured pencil on top. 20 cmsx 25cms
Tuesday 25 August 2009
UKCPS 8th Annual Open Exhibition 2009
Black
Sunday 9 August 2009
Home grown tomatoes
Friday 24 July 2009
Looking out of the backdoor
Monday 6 July 2009
Red Earth
This is a sketch of the view opposite my house. The trees are mostly olive trees and the red colour is the Sicilian earth. A deep clay red, hard as rock in the summer, when it doesn't rain, and thick and sticky in the winter, The red colour stains as well..no hope of getting it off your clothes! Done just as the sun settled behind the hills in watercolour and finished with coloured pencils.
Thursday 2 July 2009
View from a window II
Tuesday 30 June 2009
A view from my window
Sunday 21 June 2009
Locked door
Thursday 18 June 2009
A tree with a shadow
In most of the villages there are trees like this along the road. This one has taken on a funny shape as it is constantly blown one way by the sea wind from the right.